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’I would have crashed:’ Fleeing suspect claims he was driving too fast to pull over, police say

Man says he needed to get home to his mom

Nicholas Debetes (Brevard County Sheriff's Office)

TITUSVILLE, Fla. – A man who fled from officers said he was trying to get home to his mom and claimed he was driving too fast to pull over, according to the Titusville Police Department.

Police said they saw Nicholas Debetes, 18, driving a red Hyundai Elantra “at an extremely high rate of speed” Thursday around 11:15 p.m. near the intersection of North Dixie Avenue and Mayfair Way and turned on their lights in an attempt to get him to stop.

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Records show Debetes passed several locations where he could have stopped but instead continued to a trailer park on North Dixie Avenue where he parked the car.

After he was placed in handcuffs, a Brevard County deputy arrived and said Debetes had an outstanding warrant, adding that she had tried to pull him over earlier that night but he sped away and she was unable to catch up, according to the affidavit.

Debetes claimed he was speeding because his mother wanted him to come home for an unknown reason and he added that he was driving too fast to stop, the report said.

“If I would have tried to stop quicker I would have crashed the vehicle,” Debetes said, according to the affidavit.

Police said they ran Debetes’ license plate and determined it was stolen.

He was arrested on charges of aggravated fleeing and eluding, operating an unregistered vessel and reckless driving.


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